Where can I attach a tow rope.

Today, I tried to tow a stuck Pontiac Solstice up an icy hill but one of the bean counters at GM decided not to put tow hooks on the car. Eventually, other people came to help push. Without a tow hook, where can I attach a tow rope?

If it was a live/beam-axle vehicle I'd say the axle...on an independent suspension vehicle the next best bet is the suspension arms but there are all kinds of problems that could cause...the arms and tow strap could get roughed up pretty badly for starters.

I had a solstice, and used to get stuck in the snow trying to get up my driveway. Never mind just getting under it, but I had to tie it around a control arm because that was the only thing I could find to attach to. There might be a better place to attach it, but when the car is buried in snow it's tough to see anything.
That's one thing I like about my BMW - It has tow eyes that screw into the bumpers when you need to tow them. Already used that one once this winter...

Usually there's a tie-down point for the transporter, but I don't know about that car.
I do want to say this though. After owner more than a dozen Jeeps and 'wheeling them all I've been pulled out lots, pulled lots of jeeps/trucks/cars out, and have seen many pulled out. With that being said, I'll offer one hunk of advice. When I am offering assistance, I always say "you hook to your vehicle, I'll hook to mine. That way we're only responsible for out own vehicles."
That way, the possibility of being sued for a bent or broken this or that is much smaller.

^^^ what he said. Don't ever touch the other vehicle.

B pillar.

Not the radiator support. Turns out they aint very strong.

DrBoost wrote: Usually there's a tie-down point for the transporter, but I don't know about that car. I do want to say this though. After owner more than a dozen Jeeps and 'wheeling them all I've been pulled out lots, pulled lots of jeeps/trucks/cars out, and have seen many pulled out. With that being said, I'll offer one hunk of advice. When I am offering assistance, I always say "you hook to your vehicle, I'll hook to mine. That way we're only responsible for out own vehicles." That way, the possibility of being sued for a bent or broken this or that is much smaller.

Until his crap connection comes loose and the tow rope and shackle comes through your back window. If I'm towing something, I'm doing the hookup. Not for liability, but because I don't trust anyone more than myself.

Keith Tanner wrote:

DrBoost wrote: Usually there's a tie-down point for the transporter, but I don't know about that car. I do want to say this though. After owner more than a dozen Jeeps and 'wheeling them all I've been pulled out lots, pulled lots of jeeps/trucks/cars out, and have seen many pulled out. With that being said, I'll offer one hunk of advice. When I am offering assistance, I always say "you hook to your vehicle, I'll hook to mine. That way we're only responsible for out own vehicles." That way, the possibility of being sued for a bent or broken this or that is much smaller.

Until his crap connection comes loose and the tow rope and shackle comes through your back window. If I'm towing something, I'm doing the hookup. Not for liability, but because I don't trust anyone more than myself.

Yeah, I know. That's the thing that makes it difficult. One time I had a buy pissed at me because he hooked the strap to his tracker then I saw where he was hooking it (around the bumper shock) and said I won't pull it when it's hooked there. So he asked where he should hook it and I said I can't really tell him that. Someone else pulled him out. I felt like a jerk, but I too have seen d-rings and hooks come out and do damage. After that though, I had a winch. Less shock, less risk. I've heard of clubs having a rule: No proper recovery points, no wheeling' with us.

I thought that almost all modern cars have a hidden screw in for the tow hook.

I went looking at pictures of the Pontiac and unless it comes with a very long screw eye and the hole is behind the grill, I don't see it.

Owners manual?

Speaking of which.... i pulled a dude out of a snowbank last week with the Cherokee, and there's really no good recovery point in the back that i could see. I ended up just wrapping around the shackle because it wasn't going to take much to pull him out, but i'm not sure what to use in a heavier load situation.

thestig99 wrote: Owners manual?

I doubt it would be strong enough.

My zx2sr had four nice eyes welded to the framework. My Fiesta , None. Ford tow truck drive put a hook over the beam axle to pull my earlier one after it got totaled.

Swank Force One wrote: Speaking of which.... i pulled a dude out of a snowbank last week with the Cherokee, and there's really no good recovery point in the back that i could see. I ended up just wrapping around the shackle because it wasn't going to take much to pull him out, but i'm not sure what to use in a heavier load situation.

Yeah, I've used the shackle more than a few times. There are hole and slots in the 'frame' used for pulling it on a frame rack, but they can be difficult. Of course, if there's a hitch...

ClemSparks wrote:

thestig99 wrote: Owners manual?

I doubt it would be strong enough.

You won the internets today!

DrBoost wrote:

ClemSparks wrote:

thestig99 wrote: Owners manual?

I doubt it would be strong enough.

You won the internets today!

Wow, yeah, I think this thread is done and won.

thestig99 wrote: Owners manual?

I'm looking for what to do in the absence of a tow hook, I figure I'll come across this again at some point in my life.

No b-pillar on the solstice. To be clear it wasn't my car, I was simply (trying and failing) to help.

Not sure what you're driving, but I used to use the tow hitch on my XJ, with a shackle hitch piece. If it can tow a 4000-lb trailer, I figure it can pull a stuck car out of the snow (it once pulled a stuck F250 out of the snow, actually).

EDIT: oh, you were towing your own solstice up a hill....

In that case, turn it around and use the rear tow point? I've never seen a car with no rear tow point....IDK.

GMs usually have t slots hidden somewhere, because cheaper. I just carried a old serp belt and figured I could loop it around a control arm or trailing arm, never tried it though.

I'd give them a warning: "Attach it to something sturdy, because if it rips off your plastic cover, you'll still be stuck and I'm hauling ass down the road with your bumper."

i don't think i've ever owned a car that had a factory installed tow hook on it... my experience is mostly with 20+ year old American stuff..

there is generally a place to hook a tow strap, depending on how much you actually care about the car: bumper mount. rear axle housing. sway bar. radiator support..

David S. Wallens wrote:

DrBoost wrote:

ClemSparks wrote:

thestig99 wrote: Owners manual?

I doubt it would be strong enough.

You won the internets today!

Wow, yeah, I think this thread is done and won.

I don't know. I was partial to Ebonyandivory's answer of "B Pillar," personally. But I couldn't pass on the opportunity to comment on "owners manual."

iceracer wrote: My zx2sr had four nice eyes welded to the framework. My Fiesta , None. Ford tow truck drive put a hook over the beam axle to pull my earlier one after it got totaled.

I was disappointed to learn that the Ford Focus ST doesn't have tow hooks here in the US. The Euro version of the ST does and has those removable plastic covers in the front and rear bumper concealing the point where you thread the tow hook into. Not sure why the US models didn't get this.

novaderrik wrote: i don't think i've ever owned a car that had a factory installed tow hook on it... my experience is mostly with 20+ year old American stuff.. there is generally a place to hook a tow strap, depending on how much you actually care about the car: bumper mount. rear axle housing. sway bar. radiator support..

The problem here is that a Solstice is very low to the ground, and when stuck in snow or mud or whatever, it's even lower. A lot of newer cars have a tow hook that is easily visible, even when the car is stuck, but on the Solstice there is virtually nothing visible in that situation.